CCC Gainesville | Blog
Our great God, per the Westminster Confession of Faith
Chap 2, section 2.
God hath all life,a glory,b goodness,c blessedness,d in and of himself; and is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made,e nor deriving any glory from them,f but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things;g and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth.h In his sight all things are open and manifest,i his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature,k so as nothing is to him contingent, or uncertain.l He is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands.m To him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience he is pleased to require of them.n
(a) Jer 10:10; John 5:26
(b) Acts 7:2
(c) Ps 119:68
(d) 1 Tim 6:15; Rom 9:5
(e) Acts 17:24-25
(f) Luke 17:10
(g) Rom 11:36
(h) Rev 4:11; Dan 4:25,35; 1 Tim 6:15
(i) Heb 4:13
(k) Rom 11:33-34; Ps 147:5
(l) Acts 15:18; Ezek 11:5
(m) Ps 145:17; Rom 7:12
N revelation 5
(Julie gave me permission to post this great update. On to Bulgaria! Search Bulgaria on blog to learn more.)
Hey!!!
I wanted to let you know that I just met with my assessors and I’ve been approved!!! I’m so excited!! This week was such a blessing to me and I feel I’m coming away with so much from this experience. I believe Mission To the World (MTW) will be in contact with you (as my pastor) formally within the next week or so with how to pray and prepare me for the next step, but I wanted to give you the good news!!!!
God is good!!
Julie
RP: Came across this the other day at Langham Partnership, an organization carrying out the vision of John Stott—for all of life under the Lord of all. The highlites below are mine.
By Nathan Clarke and Corey Widmer
If you are a churchgoer, you have probably attended a worship service in which all the Sunday school teachers are acknowledged, thanked, and prayed for. A friend of mine told me about a teacher in one church who was offended by this experience. Surprised, my friend asked her why. She replied, “I spend an hour a week teaching Sunday school, and they haul me up to the front to pray for me. The rest of the week I am a full-time teacher, and the church has not prayed for me once.”
In general, the church has done a fine job equipping Christians for the “private” areas of their lives: prayer, morality, family life, and so on. However, in general, the church has done a poor job equipping people for the “public” parts of their lives: namely, their work, their vocation. The reality is, most people spend the majority of their time in this latter, “public” area.
The teacher’s comment was an important rebuke. When we as the church fail to honor Christians’ work in the world as service or mission unto God, we communicate that what a person spends the majority of their time doing in the world is not nearly as important as what they spend a very small amount of time doing within the church.
The bifurcation of public and private has tremendous consequences. It results in compromise: if Christians aren’t taught to understand how the gospel shapes their public lives, their lives will inevitably be shaped by a different worldview. It results in marginalization: restricting our faith to the private sphere limits our influence in the places of culture that really matter. And it results in disillusionment: Christians who don’t believe there is any real point to their work (other than to make money to give to the church) will become disenchanted and cynical about their jobs.
In response to this concern, a group of us in Richmond, Virginia, are hosting a conference in a few weeks called Common Good RVA. Last April, Christianity Today magazine highlighted our city, showcasing the many ways that Christians here are working for the shalom of Richmond: its peace, prosperity, and comprehensive flourishing. Their coverage inspired many of us to continue to explore ways to join the work of God in the metro region. We believe that one of the main ways we can join this work is through our daily vocations. As a pastor, I’m convinced that if Richmond is to better reflect the kingdom of God, it will not be mainly through the church creating better programs, but through ordinary Christians, in every sphere of work in our city, approaching their vocations as those called to ministry and mission, for the glory of God and for the sake of the common good.
Our hope is that the 200-plus attendees of Common Good RVA will have a very different experience from the disgruntled teacher, and instead will leave blessed and empowered for their spiritual work in the public life of the world. —Corey Widmer, co-pastor, East End Fellowship, Richmond
found at : full article from christianitytoday.com
One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. JOB 1:6
Satan, leader of the fallen angels, comes like them into full view only in the New Testament. His name means “adversary” (opponent of God and his people), and the Old Testament introduces him as such (1 Chron. 21:1; Job 1-2; Zech. 3:1-2). The New Testament gives him revealing titles: “devil” (diabolos) means accuser (i.e., of God’s people: Rev. 12:9-10); “Apollyon” (Rev. 9:11) means destroyer; “the tempter” (Matt. 4:3; 1 Thess. 3:5) and “the evil one” (1 John 5:18-19) mean what they say; “prince” and “god of this world” point to Satan as presiding over mankind’s anti-God life-styles (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4; cf. Eph. 2:2; 1 John 5:19; Rev. 12:9). Jesus said that Satan was always a murderer and is the father of lies—that is, he is both the original liar and the sponsor of all subsequent falsehood and deceits (John 8:44). Finally, he is identified as the serpent who fooled Eve in Eden (Rev. 12:9; 20:2). The picture is one of unimaginable meanness, malice, fury, and cruelty directed against God, against God’s truth, and against those to whom God has extended his saving love.
Satan’s deceptive cunning is highlighted by Paul’s statement that he becomes an angel of light, disguising evil as good (2 Cor. 11:14). His destructive ferocity comes out in the description of him as a roaring, devouring lion (1 Pet. 5:8) and as a dragon (Rev. 12:9). As he was Christ’s sworn foe (Matt. 4:1-11; 16:23; Luke 4:13; John 14:30; cf. Luke 22:3, 53), so now he is the Christian’s, always probing for weaknesses, misdirecting strengths, and undermining faith, hope, and character (Luke 22:32; 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:3-15; Eph. 6:16). He should be taken seriously, for malice and cunning make him fearsome; yet not so seriously as to provoke abject terror of him, for he is a beaten enemy. Satan is stronger than we are, but Christ has triumphed over Satan (Matt. 12:29), and Christians will triumph over him too if they resist him with the resources that Christ supplies (Eph. 6:10-13; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9-10). “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Acknowledging Satan’s reality, taking his opposition seriously, noting his strategy (anything, provided it be not biblical Christianity), and reckoning on always being at war with him—this is not a lapse into a dualistic concept of two gods, one good, one evil, fighting it out. Satan is a creature, superhuman but not divine; he has much knowledge and power, but he is neither omniscient nor omnipotent; he can move around in ways that humans cannot, but he is not omnipresent; and he is an already defeated rebel, having no more power than God allows him and being destined for the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).
from JI Packer’s Concise Theology
